2 kidnap victims released in Sulu; ransom paid

Two vendors who were abducted last week by suspected followers of the Abu Sayyaf bandit group were freed on Sunday morning after their families paid ransom to the kidnappers, a police report said. Ambon Ahamad Blas and Perlita Bagay were released at the vicinity of Barangay Latih in Patikul town in Sulu at around 6 a.m., the report said. The victims were seized in the same area last Sunday by armed men belonging to the Virgin Boys group headed by a certain Roger and a certain Gapas, who were believed to be followers of Abu Sayyaf sub-commander Basarun Arok. The captives were freed after their relatives paid a P100,000 ransom to the kidnappers, the police report said. The Abu Sayyaf, which has links to the international terrorist group al Qaeda, has been blamed for various kidnap-for-ransom and bombing activities in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, as well as in Metro Manila. - Andreo C. Calonzo/KBK, GMA News